GREAT HORNED OWL. 
101 
here, as soon as evening draws on, and mankind retire 
to rest, he sends forth such sounds as seem scarcely to 
belong to this world, startling the solitary pilgrim as he* 
slumbers by his forest fire, * 
e< Mating night hideous.” 
Along the mountainous shores of the Ohio, and amidst 
the deep forests of Indiana, alone, and reposing in the 
woods, this ghostly watchman has frequently warned 
me of the approach of morning, and amused me with his 
singular exclamations, sometimes sweeping down and 
around my fire, uttering a loud and sudden Waugh O ! 
Waugh O ! sufficient to have alarmed a whole garrison. 
He has other nocturnal solos, no less melodious, one of 
which very strikingly resembles the half suppressed 
screams of a person suffocating, or throttled, and cannot 
fail of being exceedingly entertaining to a lonely be- 
nighted traveller, in the midst of an Indian wilderness ! 
This species inhabits the country round Hudson’s 
Bay; and, according to Pennant, who considers it a 
mere variety of the eagle owl ( strix bubo) of Europe, 
is found in Kamtschatka ; extends even to the arctic 
regions, where it is often found white ; and occurs as low 
as Astrakan. It has also been seen white in the United 
States ; but this has doubtless been owing to disease 
or natural defect, and not to climate. It preys on young 
rabbits, squirrels, rats, mice, partridges, and small birds 
of various kinds. It has been often known to prowl 
about the farm house, and carry off chickens from roost. 
A very large one, wing-broken while on a foraging 
excursion of this kind, was kept about the house for 
several days, and at length disappeared, no one knew 
how. Almost every day after this, hens and chickens 
also disappeared, one by one, in an unaccountable 
manner, till, in eight or ten days, very few were left 
remaining. The fox, the minx, and weasel, were alter- 
nately the reputed authors of this mischief, until one 
morning, the old lady herself, rising before day to bake, 
in passing towards the oven, surprised her late prisoner, 
the owl, regaling himself on the body of a newly killed 
